Let’s face it — kids can take a Scratch Programming class in many different places throughout Westchester County, or do the Hour of Code from home. There are a million and one ways to learn about 3D printing, computer programming or animation. You get the picture… And so do we.

But there’s the thing: experience. Meaningful learning is all about the experience. Knowledge retention happens when a person can put emotion behind the skills they learn.

Think about driving. Someone can show you or tell you how to drive all day long while you’re in the passenger’s seat, but until you get in the driver’s seat, get your hands on the wheel, put on your blinker, run over a few curbs and get pulled over for speeding, you really don’t learn very much. (We don’t encourage speeding, by the way! It was a metaphor…)

At the DAE, students drive. They get their hands on the tech. They try to go too fast and run into problems. We teach our kids about failure and how not to panic when something goes wrong — about how glitches are good because they teach us what we need to fix. We encourage thoughtfulness and problem solving, discussion and thinking outside the box.

Our world is so fast. It’s easy to throw information at people (especially kids) and expect them to get it. (Those kids with their iPads just know how to do all the things!) Classes at the DAE are different. They’re inclusive. They’re project-based. And they’re fun! We invite you to visit us and find out why.

We’ve collected data from various sources to compile our own ‘Top 3 Hot STEM Careers’ list and how our programs in Westchester County, NY can give your child a head start.

The Digital Arts Experience of White Plains, NY strives to make STEM curriculum accessible to all youth in Westchester & Connecticut with cutting edge technology. The DAE provides a completely unique, personalized experience for every student who enrolls in our after-school, school break or summer programs. But first, here are a few quick facts about STEM Careers via The U.S. Department of Labor Blog:

The average wage for all STEM occupations is $85,570

7 out of the 10 largest STEM occupations are related to computers

There were over 8.3 million STEM jobs as of May 2014, representing about 6.2 percent of total U.S. employment

Several of the U.S. industries with the highest mean wages are STEM-related

Here’s our Top 3 List of STEM Careers to look out for:

1) Engineering

Entry Level Salary: $60,000+

Average Salary: $95,000+

Petroleum, Nuclear, Chemical, Electronics and Communications, Computer Science, Aerospace & Electrical and Material Science engineering are among the highest paying STEM careers for college graduates. Engineering by definition is the branch of science and technology concerned with the design, building, and use of engines, machines, and structures.

The goal of the class is to turn your digital CAD designs into physical objects. Using CAD software, students blueprint designs and must carefully and accurately measure to scale in order to produce a functional 3D model. This course explores the design and building aspect of engineering for creating physical structures.

This multidisciplinary program not only covers electrical engineering with an introduction to electronics, but also covers the computer programming language ‘Processing’. Students bridge digital and physical engineering by coding original video games and wiring their own controllers to be used in conjunction with the game. Finally, students tap into CAD design as well where they sketch out and design their own 3D cases for their controllers and 3D Print them.

2) Computer Programming

Entry Level Salary: $50,000+

Average Salary: $74,280+

A computer programmer is, in essence, a programmer, computer programmer, developer, dev, coder, or software engineer who writes computer software. At The Digital Arts Experience, we recognize the importance of learning a computer programming language at a young age. In this rapidly advancing technological world that we live in, having the ability to program a computer is going to be a basic essential literacy.

An intro course that is a great start for older students to begin programming using Java. Students will begin to look at Java programming and create their own games using the program, Greenfoot. These games can be either an original idea or a re-imagining of a classic. Components of Algebra, intergers, whole numbers and PEMDAS are applied.

Python is the perfect language to begin programming with actual code. It is written entirely in English and does not require abstract language or terminology, so it is easy to learn & understand. Students will start with writing simple programs and work towards programming text based games that will exercise their programming skills and develop fluency with Python. Math skills such as addition, subtraction, multiplication and division as well as using whole numbers and negative exponents

Scratch is a tile-based visual platform that helps teach basic syntax and logic concepts that drive computer programming by users stacking command blocks together. It can be used to create virtually anything: from interactive stories and animations to video games. Students create their very own games, animations, cards and stories. Basic programming and math concepts such as event handlers, loops, conditions, operators and variables are taught.

An intro course designed to teach students the basics of iOS app development. Students in this course will learn both the basic language structure of Objective-C and the ins and outs of Apple’s free development tool Xcode, which is designed specifically to make programming iOS apps as simple as possible. By the end of the course, students will have completed several basic apps and will have the tools to continue designing apps in the future if they should desire.

3) Web Developer

Entry Level Salary: $51,000+

Average Salary: $66,000+

With a projected 20% increase over the next 10 years, web development jobs are quickly increasing by the thousands. From back end development to front facing web design, user experience, and more. Web Developer tasks include:

Web Development combines elements from both the creative and technical world. In this class, students will learn how to build a website from the ground up using HTML & CSS, and explore the design aspects of putting together a stunning and modern looking site. Students will complete the class with their very own, customized sites.

Javascript is the life-blood of Web Development. It’s how we bring life to ordinary websites by making them interactive and engaging. In this course, you will learn how to write Javascript code, manipulate web pages, and build complex web applications. Along the way, students will be introduced to jQuery, a powerful JS library, and build at least 2 working web applications. By the end of the course, students will have gained the skills necessary to create their own web applications, as well as, implement their own custom Javascript into existing projects.

These numbers are in no way meant to be absolute. They’ve been collected from various websites and outlets which have all been properly credited and this Top 3 list is simply conclusions we’ve made based on that data.

All in all, it is evident that STEM Education is becoming more and more integral towards the future of careers. With proper early education in these fields, kids will surely have a head start and an advantage among their peers.

The DAE is currently enrolling for Summer STEM Camp beginning July 5th and running all throughout the entire summer. Sign up for 1 or 2 weeks for a full or half day! Learn more at: http://www.thedae.com/summer-stem-camps.

The DAE’s classes and camps provide students with opportunities to explore digital arts and the world of technology in a fun, collaborative and dynamic environment.

Students at The Digital Arts Experience in Westchester, NY working on the tile-based Scratch programming language, developed by MIT.

In this blog entry, we are going to shine the spotlight on one of our most popular class topics: Computer Programming & Coding. At The Digital Arts Experience, we recognize the importance of learning a computer programming language at a young age. In this rapidly advancing technological world that we live in, having the ability to program a computer is going to be a basic essential literacy.

The computer programming languages that we teach are HTML/CSS, Java, Javascript, Processing, Python, Ruby & Scratch. Let’s take a closer look at our class description for each topic:

Web Development combines elements from both the creative and technical world. In this class, students will learn how to build a website from the ground up using HTML & CSS, and explore the design aspects of putting together a stunning and modern looking site. Students will complete the class with their very own, customized sites.

An intro course that is a great start for older and younger students to begin programming using Java. Students will begin to look at Java programming and create their own games using the program, Greenfoot. These games can be either an original idea or a re-imagining of a classic.

Javascript is the life-blood of Web Development. It’s how we bring life to ordinary websites by making them interactive and engaging. In this course, you will learn how to write Javascript code, manipulate web pages, and build complex web applications. Along the way, students will be introduced to jQuery, a powerful JS library, and build at least 2 working web applications. By the end of the course, students will have gained the skills necessary to create their own web applications, as well as, implement their own custom Javascript into existing projects.

This course will explore taking programming off of the computer screen. An Arduino Microcontroller will be used together with Processing code to create interactive programs. These programs will have visual components from Processing and physical components from the Arduino.

Python is the perfect language to begin programming with actual code. It is written entirely in English and does not require abstract language or terminology, so it is easy to learn & understand. Students will start with writing simple programs and work towards programming text based games that will exercise their programming skills and develop fluency with Python.

This course will cover all of the basics of computer programming using the powerful Ruby language. Since its inception in 1993, Ruby has grown to become one of the largest scripting languages in the world, sought out by many employers. Throughout the course, students will learn how to write simple yet effective code, learning the core concepts of program creation in the process. By the end of the course, students will have completed 3 working programs, and a small text-based Role Playing Game.

Scratch is a tile-based visual platform that helps teach basic syntax and logic concepts that drive computer programming by users stacking command blocks together. It can be used to create virtually anything: from interactive stories and animations to video games. Students create their very own games, animations, cards and stories. Basic programming concepts such as event handlers, loops, conditions, operators and variables are taught.

Students complete class tutorials that teach and reinforce programming concepts in a way that fosters critical thinking, time management and problem solving. They also employ design thinking, creating their own games on paper and seeing them through to their digital conception.

For the Fall of 2016, we are working on curriculum for App Development using the Swift language as well as several more advanced coding classes.

Join us next Thursday, June 16th from 5-7PM for Open House where you can tour our facility, meet our instructors and view student work. Learn more about our Summer STEM programs here by visiting our website.

About The Digital Arts Experience

The Digital Arts Experience (The DAE) was founded in 2012 to meet the need for students to help them develop their interest in all things digital. Founder and president Rob Kissner recognized the opportunity to offer youth a collaborative, creative community, in which they could learn, explore, and share new ideas using cutting edge technology. Rob has turned this concept into a reality by bringing together an outstanding group of instructors at our 8,000 sq foot state-of-the-art facility in White Plains, New York.

The Digital Arts Experience offers students fully equipped classrooms featuring the latest creative software, a makerspace with 3D printers and scanners, a photo and video studio, a recording studio and more. In 2014, DAE launched a new mobile tech lab, dubbed The Digital Arts Express (The DAExpress), to meet the demand for after-school programs on-location in Westchester and Fairfield Counties. The DAExpress is focused on making The DAE’s cutting edge technology and curriculum accessible to all youth in Westchester & Connecticut. The DAE provides a completely unique, personalized experience for every student who enrolls in their after-school, school break or summer programs.

The DAE’s instructors are experienced and passionate about teaching digital arts to kids ages 6 and up, and they are continuously involved with expanding the DAE course catalog with leading edge technologies and teaching techniques. DAE culture promotes innovation and engagement, and ensures each student is able to access what they need to help explore their creative passions. DAE classes and camps provide students with opportunities to explore digital arts and the world of technology in a fun, collaborative and dynamic environment.

Still in the process of filling out the schedule, The DAE has a solid base of their “bread & butter” programs already available for registration. By following this link, you’ll be directed to their Summer STEM Camp website where you can learn much more specific details about camp such as dates, times, prices and even find the early bird discount code.

Students can choose to enroll for 1 or 2 weeks for either a full or half day. To view individual registration pages for each session, click the respective links below:

Last summer, The DAE had nearly 200 unique students attend their Summer STEM programs. Also, with some new classes and updated curriculum, kids are sure to have lots of fun while learning valuable information.

For the past three and a half years, The Digital Arts Experience has provided quality, accessible technology education to kids and teens of Westchester, Putnam, Fairfield and Rockland Counties.

With classes for young beginners like Game Programming with Scratch, Stop Motion Animation and Digital Drawing, to intermediate and advanced classes in Electronics, Game Programming with Python and Java, 3D Printing, 3D Animation and 3D Game Design, The DAE is the area’s authority in STEM/STEAM Education. They will also be rolling out several new programs in January which include 3D Character Modeling & Sculpting, Wearable Technology and 3D Jewelry Design.

The DAE also brings unique curriculum and teaching methodology to schools, community centers and private groups in the area. Working with over 25 schools in Westchester, Connecticut, The Bronx, and Manhattan, and seeing literally hundreds of kids each week, The DAE is able to do this and much more with their revolutionary mobile classroom: The Digital Arts Express.